Generali and a new vision for the city or almost two hundred years, its business operations across Italy well-being, and this is particularly our Company has had the good were conducted from this prestigious important for the future of Venice, Ffortune of making a significant location overlooking St Mark’s Square. its residents and its visitors from part of its journey in the heart of Venice, The time has now come to revitalise all over the world. The restoration sharing key moments in history and the our roots and overall presence in projects launched in St Mark’s Square symbol of the lion of St Mark with this Venice. are intended to make Venice a more splendid city. Generali opened its first As insurers, our mission is to guarantee dynamic city that encourages one to offices in 1832 in the Procuratie Vecchie a better quality of life for people. think, to work and to enjoy culture, a few months after the Company was Making urban spaces more liveable consequently unlocking the city’s founded in Trieste. For many years, and accessible creates a sense of full potential.

Philippe Donnet Group CEO Assicurazioni Generali

2 | 3 St Mark’s Square, the heart of Venice

t Mark’s will always be... and economic life for more than a Right: Aerial view of the most beautiful square thousand years. Its story begins in St Mark’s Square; the Piazzetta with its S in the world! the year 828, with the arrival of the two famous columns This enthusiastic comment appears remains of St Mark the evangelist dedicated to St Mark and St Theodore leads in a document conserved in the from Egypt, where he had been into the square proper, Assicurazioni Generali Historical martyred, and the construction of enclosed between the basilica and the Archive, a letter written in 1932 when the first basilica, and continues with Procuratie. the company was deciding to purchase various additions over the centuries, additional sections of the Procuratie which gave the square its present Vecchie, despite the terrible economic monumental appearance. The basilica crisis (the Great Depression that we admire today is the result of an followed the Wall Street crash of 1929). 11th-century reconstruction, while the Unquestionably, the writer’s enthusiasm great buildings creating the approach is fully justified: the square has been to the church were constructed at a the heart of Venice’s cultural, political later date.

4 | 5 A new life for old

Procuratie Vecchie buildings and gardens

St. Mark’s Square he Procuratie Vecchie, whose the sides of the square. During the years name comes from their use as of French rule, when plans were drawn up T a residence for the procuratori to turn the Procuratie Nuove into a royal de supra, the officials responsible for palace, the decision was taken to create the administration of the basilica, are a garden extending the building towards one of the square’s oldest buildings. the waterfront. After further changes to the Constructed in the 13th century and layout of the area during the 19th century, in consisting of a continuous one-storey 1920 the Royal Gardens were opened in full structure above a long ground-floor to the public and their ownership passed to arcade, the Procuratie Vecchie underwent the City of Venice. In 1922 the Napoleonic alterations during the 16th-century Wing and part of the Procuratie Nuove renovatio urbis, in which Sansovino became the site of the famous Correr played a decisive role. The 16th century Museum. Today, thanks to Generali, the Procuratie Nuove also saw the start of construction work historic and culturally important areas of the on the Procuratie Nuove, which, together Procuratie Vecchie and the Royal Gardens with the later Napoleonic Wing, formed will be restored to new life.

Royal Gardens

6 | 7 Generali: a new concept of community

he Human Safety Net is the consequences of perinatal asphyxia. Human Safety Net for newborns new Group initiative for the With The Human Safety Net for refugee promotes collaboration between the T community, to help the most start-ups, Generali is taking a new medical community and parents to vulnerable in our society. The initiative approach to the European crisis: rather improve prevention and treatment will pool Generali resources from all than respond to basic needs, the of perinatal asphyxia. Generali is over the world to have a meaningful program enables refugees to create engaging its entire organisation in impact in three areas: supporting jobs for themselves. the program, as well as inspiring its refugee business start-ups, creating The Human Safety Net for families customers, like-minded individuals equal-life opportunities for children unlocks the potential of disadvantaged and NGOs to collaborate with The from disadvantaged backgrounds, parents to help them offer their Human Safety Net. This chain of and saving newborn babies from children equal-life chances during “people helping people” is at the the debilitating and potentially fatal their formative first six years. The heart of the initiative.

8 9 The Procuratie, the “home” of the THSN project

world heritage site of unrivalled a wide-ranging project of interest to Right: On completion of art, beauty and history, Venice everyone. The Human Safety Net the current restoration project, Generali will A originated as a series of initiative will be located right in St assign part of the settlements of populations fleeing from Mark’s Square, specifically in the Procuratie Vecchie to house the offices and the barbarian invasions, and these Procuratie Vecchie, which will be exhibition space of The roots are also the source of a sense opened to the outside world as a Human Safety Net. of welcome: a “crossroads of people place to examine major issues in and communities of every land, culture, contemporary society, in order to language and religion, a destination and help the disadvantaged improve their meeting place for populations from all own lives, those of their families and the continents” were the words used by the communities in which they live. Pope Benedict XVI to describe the city Before moving on to the future of the during his pastoral visit in 2011. This is Procuratie, a future that begins with the why Generali sees Venice, a universal recently launched redevelopment, let’s symbol of imagination, ingenuity and take a brief look back at the history of open-mindedness, as the ideal site for the Generali company in Venice.

10 | 11 1833 1868 The choice of the lion 1880 1910

Left: The oldest he Venice Head Office for the eagle, a prerogative granted to many Above: For many years, Generali document with Lombardy- Kingdom cannot insurance companies. But in 1848, Europe the winged lion chosen the lion symbol in the by the company as its company’s Historical T be moved, and must stay in place for was shaken by a wave of revolutionary symbol instead of the Archive is a mandate the entire duration of the contract, stipulate uprisings, which in Italy took the form of a Habsburg eagle appeared from the main agency in in a variety of versions Parma dated 1860. the articles of association of the Assicurazioni fervent patriotic movement: the Venetians until a definitive image Generali Austro-Italiche company, which revolted and proclaimed the Republic of was established. appointed entrepreneur Samuele Della San Marco, whose heroic resistance lasted Vida, a resident of Venice, to the post of for eighteen months. The senior managers general manager. So it was Della Vida who of the Venice Head Office enthusiastically presented the application to establish the backed the rebels and their support company’s Venetian offices, approved by triggered events of great importance in the the authorities on 19 July 1832, and rented company’s history: the business name was premises in the Procuratie Vecchie on 24 shortened to Assicurazioni Generali, losing July. Since Trieste was part of the Austrian the controversial “Austro-Italiche” suffix, and Empire, the first emblem associated with the decision was taken to adopt the lion of Generali was the double-headed Habsburg St Mark as the symbol for operations in Italy.

12 | 13 “The prodigious Generali and Venice Marcello Dudovich, together in art who is to the history of the Italian poster as Federico Fellini is to the history of cinema.” n 1866, after the third Italian war of Procuratie”: a jewel that, in that period, independence, Venice became part definitively became Generali’s “home”, as Giampiero Mughini journalist and author I of the . The following the company purchased most of the site year the city gave a warm welcome to and carried out an extensive restructuring Giuseppe Garibaldi, who called for the between 1909 and 1914. Generali’s very liberation of Rome in a speech from close ties with the city are also reflected the Procuratie Vecchie. Between the in the posters created for it between end of the 19th century and early 20th 1926 and 1938 by the great poster century, Generali launched a large-scale artist Marcello Dudovich: the magical property investment program to build atmosphere of Venice is the most new offices in major cities in Italy and frequent iconographic theme, evoked Left: The winged lion Right: The splendid Europe, but in Venice – writes chairman by the fluttering shawl of a female figure standing proud atop poster from 1928 known one of the columns in to collectors as “La Marco Besso in his autobiography – “we looking out over the lagoon, the statues the Piazzetta as seen by Veneziana” is one of did nothing, because the Serenissima of St Theodore and the winged lion in the Marcello Dudovich (detail Dudovich’s most famous of a poster created in works for the company. had already taken care of everything Piazzetta, prayer in front of a shrine and 1935 for Generali). for us, by building the jewel that is the other classic views of the city.

14 | 15 Postcard images and distinguished guests

On these pages: s mentioned earlier, Generali Palazzo Ducale. Since then, many other The AG initials on the also purchased parts of the images confirm that Venice has always ground of St Mark’s Square immortalised in A Procuratie in the 1930s and again been the home of Generali: the initials an old postcard, Charlie in 1940, going on to make a series of AG formed on the ground every day until Chaplin as a guest of the Procuratie on his arrival in improvements to the building, despite 1974, by pigeons attracted by the food Venice for the 1972 Film the difficulties of the war years. In 1956 cunningly laid out by the company porters; Festival and the building decked out in party mode. Venice welcomed eight thousand Group the Fortuny wall hangings brought out to employees who had travelled from thirty- decorate the Procuratie on big occasions; one countries to celebrate the company’s distinguished guests such as Charlie 125th anniversary: the event was a Chaplin visiting the offices; the gondolas of “spectacle of strength and harmony” the Generali Sailing Club providing a river wrote managing director Gino Baroncini escort for Chinese president Jiang Zemin in the Bollettino, the historic house organ or representing the company and Venice at (launched by the Venice Head Office major international events… and countless in 1893), in an article illustrated with other moments featuring the logo and colour photos of the huge assembly in colours of the Generali Group.

16 | 17 Procuratie Vecchie, time for a revamp

he major restructuring of the degradation. The splendid rooms of the Right: Render of a room Procuratie Vecchie that began in Procuratie Vecchie, with their sumptuous on the first floor of the Procuratie Vecchie. The T 1909, from a project by engineer decorations and frescos, housed the restoration design of Giulio Fano, created continuity between Venice Head Office for much of the the room is developed by Gretchen Alexander the various apartments, making the 20th century, until modern logistic Harnischfeger Architect. entire Generali property more rational, requirements led to their transfer to modern and functional. The building also Mogliano Veneto in 1989. The building underwent vital structural consolidation in St Mark’s Square therefore took on a work, after the Technical and Artistic new role: to represent Generali in Italy Commission set up in Venice as a result and the world, as a tangible and ideal of the collapse of the belltower of the link between the past and present of basilica (in 1902, an event followed by a a Group whose history bridges three “how and where it was” reconstruction centuries. And now the time has come completed in 1912) found that the for a refurbishment, the first step towards Procuratie were in a state of static a new future.

18 | 19 Work in The Procuratie progress Vecchie in figures

he Procuratie Vecchie is an historic 12,800 sq.m building protected by Legislative Decree gross surface area T no. 42, 22 January 2004 (Italy’s cultural excluding proprietary stores. and landscape heritage act). The restructuring that commenced in March 2017 consists of a 152 m number of different operations. Once the work façade extending has been completed, a portion of the building along St Mark’s Square, will house the offices and exhibition space of from the Clock Tower The Human Safety Net. Specifically, the project to the Napoleonic Wing. envisages: the restoration of decorative devices; the renovation and static consolidation of the 52 arches floor structures; the construction of tidal water forming the arcade, containment tanks; renovation work to ensure the above each of which are rooms in the building comply with current laws two windows on the upper floors. governing elimination of architectural barriers, fire prevention, workplaces and technological plant; the subdivision of the more than 10,000 sq.m, which today constitute a single cadastral subsection, into a number of independent areas and surfaces for specific purposes. Talent and creativity for a major project David Chipperfield Left: An interior and the avid Chipperfield Architects the planned additions to the historic military central staircase at the David Chipperfield (b. 1953) Neues Museum in Berlin. – engaged by Generali for the complex of Castello Sforzesco in Milan. A established David Chipperfield The original staircase hall renovation of the Procuratie collaborative and participatory approach to of the Neues Museum was D Architects in 1985, and currently destroyed by fire during Vecchie – has a diverse international sensitive contexts has also led to invitations works across offices in London, the war, leaving behind body of work including cultural, to work on architectural and masterplanning an emotionally charged Berlin, Milan and Shanghai. In 2011, brickwork shell. The new residential, commercial, leisure and projects on UNESCO World Heritage Sites in he received the RIBA Royal Gold concrete staircase repeats civic projects as well as masterplanning Berlin, Venice, Segovia, Sudan, and Pisa, as Medal for Architecture, and in 2013, the original form but does exercises. Offices in London, Berlin, Milan well as in landmark districts in cities including not imitate, following Japan’s Praemium Imperiale, both the aim to recomplete and Shanghai, contribute to a wide range London, Berlin, Shanghai, and New York. given in recognition of a lifetime’s the volume and its key of projects and typologies. Through this experience, the practice’s components. work. In 2009, he was awarded Over the last 30 years, the practice work has become unified and characterised the Order of Merit of the Federal Top right: Model of the has developed particular expertise by meticulous attention to the concept and design for the Ravelins Republic of Germany and in 2010 of Castello Sforzesco in in combining the delicate handling details of every project, and a relentless he was knighted for services to Milan. of historic fabric with contemporary focus on refining the design ideas to arrive at architecture. In addition to studio architecture, as demonstrated by the a solution that is architecturally, socially, and work, David Chipperfield has lectured rebuilding of Berlin’s Neues Museum and intellectually coherent. and taught at schools of architecture worldwide, including Yale University. In 2012, he curated the 13th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale under the theme ‘Common Ground’. 22 | 23 Architecture reflecting social values

he is one and man-made. In its intensity, And yet, like other historic cities, it Not only will this initiative of the most iconic public Venice provides an extreme, yet faces the considerable challenges encourage a more vital and real T squares in the world, and reassuring image. Nowhere else is both of conservation and of urban environment in terms of a gathering point for all cultures. the dialogue between architecture rejuvenation to avoid falling into opening up public routes and The architectural rigour and and nature, between the individual parody. destinations through architectural authority of its buildings, including contribution of singular buildings However, embracing the spirit interventions and improving the Procuratie Vecchie, have for and the overall idea of the city so of accessibility promoted by the the Giardini, but it will also centuries given form to the civic eloquent. Human Safety Net program, the create spaces for an engaged state, creating a sense of order Venice is a reminder of how general initiative by Generali for public program, and establish and stability for its citizens, and the a city’s architecture and life can the area provides an opportunity a base from which a range of face of Venice to the world. create a drama in which everyone to enlarge the concept of Piazza social outreach projects can be Behind this linear, formal facade can participate as engaged, San Marco and revitalise a central developed. lie the organic street patterns of opinionated and excited audience. section of the city’s fabric, the core an agile city that for centuries We come here not just to see great of which is the opening up of the David Chipperfield has had to endlessly adapt sights, but to see what man’s Procuratie Vecchie to the public for challenging conditions both natural imagination is capable of building. the first time in its history.

24 25 Left: The range Right: Previously unused of programmatic spaces on the third requirements and floor will be opened functions for the Human up to create an area Safety Net activities, for exhibiting, meeting, office spaces, and working and discussing public access called ideas. A hub where for an approach that the Human Safety Net would improve the initiative can foster building’s adaptability to connections. The project evolving horizontal and seeks to preserve the vertical configurations. existing architectural, Addressing this need to material and spatial increase the flexibility and qualities as much as resilience, the project possible. The traditional proposes inserting two sixteenth-century new building cores. exposed wooden beams This will improve and terrazzo flooring the accessibility and will be reinstated, and “By addressing practical encourage a vertical the brick walls repaired public route up to the and lightly whitewashed accessibility issues, third and fourth floors – allowing the original fabric the home of the Human to be read underneath. there is an opportunity Safety Net. Into these walls, a series The two new staircases of arches are opened, to make a profound integrate gently with the linking together a row existing historic fabric. of spaces to form a contribution to the wider The distinctive spatial single environment qualities and materiality without losing a sense aims of the initiative.” are inspired by the of the original sequence renowned staircases of of rooms. the building’s original David Chipperfield architect Jacopo architect Sansovino, generating a sense of architectural scenography that has become representative of the city.

26 | 27 Royal Gardens: a hidden treasure

he redevelopment of the historic Once the restoration has been Left: The Royal site of the Royal Gardens, which completed – explains Adele Re Gardens in Venice, situated between St T will be connected once again with Rebaudengo, president of the Venice Mark’s Square and St Mark’s Square via the drawbridge, Gardens Foundation – “visitors will the waterfront, are undergoing an extensive will revise nineteenth-century principles be able to wander through the Royal restoration supervised and urban and architectural issues to Gardens in the shade of the long by the Venice Gardens Foundation. Generali is re-establish the area’s old ties with the wisteria pergola or the dense foliage of partnering the foundation city and the square. The partnership the evergreens, along a timeless path on the operation for between Generali and the Venice Gardens leading from the drawbridge to the the redevelopment and enhancement of the Foundation will restore an important part of Correr Museum and creating a new gardens. the history of St Mark’s Square, which had dialogue with St Mark’s Square. been badly neglected in recent years to the The gardens will be a meeting place point where the original design of the Royal where nature and artistic inspiration Gardens – both layouts and planting – had will combine to take care of every facet become almost indecipherable. of their life.”

28 | 29 On these pages: The botanical The drawbridge had restoration of the been in a state of serious gardens has been neglect and degradation assigned to garden for many years, but architect Paolo Pejrone, thanks to the restoration a student of Russel will be returned to its “It will be a triumph Page and Roberto original function as the link Burle-Marx. The between St Mark’s Square of greenery and architectural restoration and the gardens, through and the restoration of to the Correr Museum. leafy fronds, the orangery, based on the drawings by Anna Regge’s a play of transparencies Carlo Aymonino and watercolours offer Gabriella Barbini, a foretaste of the and shadows. have been assigned appearance of the area to architect Alberto on completion of the The Gardens will be a Torsello. restoration. luxuriant abundance at any time of the year.”

Paolo Pejrone 30 | 31 landscape architect Looking ahead

he restoration of the Procuratie The Human Safety Net will host Vecchie is the first step of exhibitions and performances, to T Generali’s new vision for the city serve as an inspiration for Venetians of Venice. and visitors to commit to its mission. The Human Safety Net will create We want to help turn Venice a vibrant hub in the heart of Venice, and the area surrounding St Mark’s advancing ideas that transform the lives Square into a place where people of families and communities around the seek new stimuli, share ideas and world. The centre will serve as an open work together, unlocking the city’s full door to the world, inviting people to seek potential. inspiration, exchange ideas, and take This commitment to social and collective action. cultural causes lies at the heart of The Procuratie Vecchie will become Generali’s vision: to position Venice a meeting point for social ventures and as an innovative hub where many business initiatives, revitalising St Mark’s players can take a key role in solving Square with new energy and purpose. global challenges.

32 | 33 PUBLISHED BY Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. Group Communication & Public Affairs Corporate ldentity & The Human Safety Net Supervision: Simone Bemporad, Emma Ursich Editorial coordination: Roberto Rosasco, Deborah Zamaro Graphics and layout: Giotto Enterprise, Trieste Translation: Dotwords, Milan Printed by: Grafiche Quattro, Santa Maria di Sala (VE)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS David Chipperfield Architects Generali Real Estate Venice Gardens Foundation Onlus

ICONOGRAPHIC MATERIAL Anna Regge (watercolours): pages 30, 31 David Chipperfield: pages 1, 24 David Chipperfield Architects: pages 6, 11, 19, 26, 27 Generali Group Photo Archive: pages 16, 17 Giotto Enterprise (digital illustration): page 12 Ph. Cherinfoto: page 2 Ph. Cynthia Prefontaine: page 31 (top) Ph. Francesca Chemollo: page 17 (right) Ph. Francesco Bruni: pages 14, 15 Ph. Francesco Neri: page 30 (left) Ph. Martino Lombezzi, Contrasto: pages 20, 21, 28 Ph. Richard Davies: page 23 Shutterstock: page 5 SMB / David Chipperfield Architects, ph. Ute Zscharnt: page 22 (top) SPK / David Chipperfield Architects, ph. Joerg von Bruchhausen: page 22 (bottom)

PRINTED February 2018

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